Hail hits area cotton farmers hard
John Herring spent Monday morning driving up and down southern Swisher County roads in his 1992 Chevrolet pickup, surveying damage from a Sunday night hailstorm that left much of his cotton crop in shreds.

Celebrate harvest season with bounty from Box of Rain Floral
Autumn is a time of harvest and sharing  a time to enjoy and share the simple pleasures in life. Box of Rain Floral would like to help you celebrate the season with beautiful floral arrangements. The possibilities with fall colors are endless for centerpieces, wreaths and decorations.
Pumpkin arrangements are a terrific way to bring the colors of the season indoors. Topped with dried grains, foliage and other botanicals, pumpkin arrangements will last long into the fall. Of course, these seasonal arrangements are available in as many sizes, shapes and colors as the pumpkins themselves!

Motorola to spin off top money loser
CHICAGO (AP)  Motorola Inc. plans to spin off its semiconductor operations, its big gest money loser, as a separate, publicly traded company  a change of course analysts said was long overdue.

Business today
84 Lumber to open local store today
84 Lumber Co., the nation's largest privately held building supply company, officially opens its new Lubbock store today at 102 E. 50th St at the corner of Avenue A.

Tech receivers pivotal against A&M
At the end of the night, when it was all said and done, Texas Tech receiver Nehemiah Glover couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
He wasn't upset with the fact the Red Raiders embarrassed Texas A&M 59-28 on Saturday in one of the most lopsided margins of victory in the history of the series.

Tech offense showing 'something special'
Maybe the best way to explain the record-setting pace the Texas Tech offense is experiencing is to ask a man geared toward stopping such units.
But then again, Texas Tech defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich may be thanking his lucky stars he doesn't have to design a gameplan to stop quarterback B.J. Symons and his buddies.

Tech takes it to A&M again at Jones SBC
Counting their first semester on campus, when they were redshirted, Texas Tech's fifth-year senior football players have been witness to four victories in five years against Texas A&M. They've taken a direct role in winning three straight.

Raiders suppress Ags' return game
The electrifying Dante Hall extended his NFL record Sunday by returning a kick for a touchdown in four straight games.
At least somewhere this weekend, there was a return man from Texas A&M who made something happen. It wasn't at Jones SBC Stadium.

TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons seems to have a good chance to join former teammate Kliff Kingsbury in the single-season 5,000-yard passer club. The group has only three members: Ty Detmer from Brigham Young passed for 5,188 yards and David Klingler from Houston passed for 5,140, both in 1990.

CitiAccess Fee Cut
THE PUBLIC TRANSIT Advisory Board did the right thing when it cut the fee from the current $8 to $4 for disabled CitiAccess riders who travel outside the regular fixed-route service area.

A Tragic Loss
THE LOSS OF A young life is a painful one that is felt by caring members throughout the community. We join the family members and friends of 15-year-old Janell Aboushadid in mourning her death in a Sept. 27 motor vehicle accident.

Community Briefs
Trail ride needs riders, volunteers
Riders and volunteer workers are needed for the 13th Annual St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Saddle Up trail ride at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Four Bar K Ranch, 2811 98th St.

Welcome Home
The children provided a background of constant chatter, giggles and squeals as they played nearby in an inflatable jumper.
Against a backdrop of Mackenzie Park greenery, the kids' parents gathered, too, on Sunday afternoon in celebration of a job well done and the return of some of Lubbock's  and America's  heroes.

Correction
A story in Monday's Avalanche-Journal about a shrine to the Virgin Mary in Floyd County contained two errors. The shrine is located on a stretch of land at Muncy, which is between Lockney and Floydada. Also, Jim Ducette's name was misspelled.

News briefs
Shanna Davis, 15, of Lubbock remained in critical condition Sunday at Covenant Medical Center. She was injured early Sept. 27 in a fatal rollover accident on U.S. 62/385 eight miles north of Seminole.

News brief
Shanna Davis, 15, of Lubbock remained in critical condition Monday at Covenant Medical Center. She was injured early Sept. 27 in a fatal rollover accident on U.S. 62/385 eight miles north of Seminole.

Last-minute campaigning heats up
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Marching on the Capitol he hopes to claim in the recall election, Arnold Schwarzenegger said he sensed "an unbelievable momentum" Sunday, despite new allegations of sexual harassment and signs of a tightening race. The embattled incumbent, Gov. Gray Davis, signed a law making California the largest state to require employer-paid health care.

Jury rules filthy home played role in suicide
MERIDEN, Conn. (AP)  A woman was convicted Monday of contributing to the suicide of her 12-year-old son, who hanged himself in his closet with a necktie after being picked on for months at school over his bad breath and body odor.

Pilgrims' walk of faith leads to shrine
MUNCY  Jesse and Irene Garza joined about 150 people who made a pilgrimage Sunday afternoon to the new Queen of Heaven Shrine.
The two walked from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lockney, and Irene Garza carried an 18-inch crucifix that had belonged to her late godfather when he was ordained a deacon.

Albertsons accepts EEOC mediation
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  The nation's second largest food and drug retailer has agreed to let a federal agency mediate any allegations of employment discrimination.

Allegations dog final day of campaign
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to maintain his momentum amid sexual-misconduct allegations and Gov. Gray Davis made a last-minute plea to keep his job Monday as the candidates in California's recall election barnstormed the state in the final hours of the historic campaign.

Odds & Ends
Man wants to question lost parrot in court
ALEXANDRIA, Va.  A man claims a woman wrongly adopted his lost parrot  and he can prove it if given a chance to question the bird in court.

Frances Mills
LOOP - Services for Frances Mills, 75, will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Loop First Baptist Church. Interment will follow at Gaines County Cemetery in Loop. Rev. Charles Hargrove will officiate with Dr. Carrol Green assisting. Services are under direction of Mark A. Jones Funeral Directors in Seagraves. The family will receive friends and guests at the funeral home from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Frances Docia Joyce
Frances Docia Joyce, long-time resident of Albuquerque, N.M., passed away Oct. 4, 2003, after a long illness. She was born Dec. 30, 1930, in Ralls. She grew up in Lubbock before moving to Albuquerque in 1951. During the '60s she was very active in Babe Ruth and Connie Mack Baseball. Before retirement, she owned a bookstore in Rio Rancho and was an avid reader. She was a Baptist by faith.

Death notices - 10/06/03
Christene Brent, 87, of New Home died Sunday, Oct. 5, 2003. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at White Memorial Chapel in Lubbock. White Funeral Home in Tahoka.

Hollis Franklin Mote
Visitation for Hollis Franklin Mote, 70, of Woodrow will be Tuesday from 7 until 9 p.m. at Franlin-Bartley Funeral Home.

Lomie Hopper
Graveside services for Lomie Bass Hopper, 98, of Arlington and formerly of Lubbock will be Wednesday at 10 a.m., at Anton Cemetery in Anton, Texas with Don Watson and Bernard Gowens officiating.

Virgie M. Hughey
SEGUIN - Virgie M. Hughey of Seguin passed away Saturday, Oct. 4, at the age of 72. Mrs. Hughey was a devoted wife and mother, loving her daughter above all else, doting on her grandsons, and tolerating her husband of 50 years.

Christene Brent
NEW HOME - Services for Mrs. Christene Brent, 87, long-time New Home resident, will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, O c . 7 , at White Memorial Chapel in Lubbock with Mr. Jerry Roberts officiating. Interment will follow in Resthaven Memorial Park under the direction of White Funeral Home in Tahoka.

Georgia Edwards
Services for Georgia Edwards, 92, of Lubbock, will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2003, at Southpark Baptist Church with the Rev. Mel Hooten officiating.

Mimi Nell
Visitation for Mimi Nell, 54, of Ruidoso, N.M., will be Monday, Oct. 6, at Franklin-Bartley Funeral Home in Lubbock from 6 until 8 p.m. Graveside service will be Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 2:30 p.m. at h e C i y o f Lubbock Cemetery. A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. at St. Luke's United Methodist Church with the Rev. Lyndall Fletcher officiating, followed by a reception at 4204 95th St. in Lubbock.

Police Blotter
Blotter information is compiled from reports filed with the Lubbock Police Department. To report information about these and other crimes, call Crime Line at 741-1000. In some cases, cash rewards are offered. Callers may remain anonymous.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

Utah downs Mavs in exhibtion game
MEXICO CITY (AP) - The Utah Jazz rallied for a 90-85 victory over local favorite Eduardo Najera and the Dallas Mavericks in an exhibition game on Sunday.Najera, the only Mexican in the NBA, was heartily cheered as he was introduced during pregame festivities.

Texans recover over bye week
HOUSTON (AP)  The Texans healed their many wounds over the bye weekend and expect to be nearly full-strength for their next practice Wednesday, except for one glaring exception.

Sox survive struggle in Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  Pedro Martinez, Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez and even that maligned Boston bullpen  they all were tougher than any curse.

Yankees pound Twins to reach ALCS
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  The New York Yankees sure got back to their postseason best in a hurry.
The Yankees hit four doubles in a six-run fourth inning Sunday, giving David Wells a big lead and breezing into the AL championship series with an 8-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
After a sloppy loss in the opener that brought back memories of last year's first-round flop against Anaheim, New York beat the Twins three straight times to win the division series 3-1.
"We fought our way through it," manager Joe Torre said. "We know there are a lot of distractions in New York. In the postseason, they're magnified."
A rested Yankees team will open the ALCS on Wednesday night at home against Oakland or Boston.
"They're the best team in the league," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Somebody has to knock them off."
Wells improved to 9-2 lifetime in the postseason by going 72/3 innings for the Yankees, who sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth and knocked out Twins starter Johan Santana.
Bernie Williams and Hideki Matsui each hit an RBI double, and Nick Johnson added a two-run double. Alfonso Soriano's bloop two-run single made it 6-0.
Derek Jeter later homered for the Yankees. After losing Game 1 at home 3-1, New York outscored Minnesota 14-3.
"They're a confident bunch," Gardenhire said. "If they start hitting, they win a lot of games."
The big-budget Yankees are under increasing pressure to win it all this year after going consecutive seasons without a World Series title. They put themselves in a great position by finishing off Minnesota on Sunday.
They'll have two days off to rest before Game 1 of the ALCS, while the Red Sox and Athletics play a decisive Game 5 on Monday night after making a cross-country trip to Oakland.
Pedro Martinez pitches for Boston against Barry Zito, so neither ace would be ready to face the Yankees on Wednesday.
"I'd like to believe we have an advantage, but when you get to the postseason the adrenaline gets you over that stuff," Torre said.
The Twins, who beat Oakland in the first round last year, will have to settle for two straight AL Central titles after back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 1969-70.
A leg cramp limited Santana's Game 1 outing to four shutout innings. After retiring 10 of his first 11 batters, Santana's success came to a screeching end with one out in the fourth. A stunned, silenced crowd of 55,875 watched the Yankees bash balls all over the field.
They hit four doubles in the inning, a division series record, and hung the Twins' best pitcher with six runs. Santana gave up six hits and a walk in 32/3 innings, striking out three.
Jason Giambi and Williams hit back-to-back doubles, Jorge Posada singled and Matsui doubled to score Williams. With two outs, Juan Rivera was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Johnson, batting ninth and stuck in an 0-for-26 slide, ripped a two-run double to make it 4-0. Juan Rincon relieved and gave up a two-run single to Soriano and walks to Jeter and Giambi.

Yankees enjoy rare day of rest
NEW YORK (AP)  The New York Yankees were back home Monday, resting up for the AL championship series while their next opponent crisscrossed the country and scrambled to advance.

Cowboys ruin Emmitt's return with 24-7 win
IRVING (AP)  Emmitt Smith was all smiles. Fans were cheering his every move and flashbulbs were popping. He looked around happily, savoring his return to Texas Stadium just like he'd hoped. Everything was going his way.
Then the game began. And nothing went right again.

Year makes big difference for Carter
IRVING (AP)  The day after Dallas played Arizona last season, Quincy Carter was replaced as the Cowboys' starting quarterback and the team had a losing record the rest of the way.

Town grieves deaths of five teenagers
KYLE (AP)  Two days after a car crash that killed five teenagers, Tom Ray hugged his 6-year-old son a little longer and made sure to tell his wife he loved her before he returned Monday to his teaching job at Jack C. Hays High School, where the teens had attended school.

Ex-nonprofit worker suspect in embezzlement
LEVELLAND  Grand juries are expected to investigate an alleged embezzlement of $10,000 in rental payments and security deposits handled by the South Plains Community Action Association's housing division.

Storm system blows across region, bringing hail, rainfall
BY P. CHRISTINE SMITHAVALANCHE-JOURNALThe combination of a strong weather system moving in from New Mexico and Colorado and the warm temperatures reached Sunday on the South Plains caused storms to develop across the region.Hail, some as large as golf balls and baseballs, hit areas in Swisher, Floyd and Terry counties, and funnel clouds were spotted near Tulia and Kress.

McEachern awaits court ruling on DWI case
District Attorney Terry McEachern and prosecutors in New Mexico are waiting to see if the Court of Appeals of the State of New Mexico schedules McEachern's aggravated DWI case for a hearing.

Protests may threaten Episcopal meeting
DALLAS (AP)  Episcopal Church conservatives decided last spring to call a strategy meeting where they expected a few hundred people to voice concern about the faith's increasing acceptance of gay relationships.

Presidential primary at risk in feud
AUSTIN (AP)  The state's role in presidential politics could be a casualty of Republican infighting over West Texas boundaries in the effort to redraw congressional districts.
Weary and sometimes angry lawmakers seemed to give up Sunday on reaching an agreement on new congressional districts in time to make the changes and still hold the Texas primary March 2.

Legislators eye juggling primary date
AUSTIN (AP)  Texas' Republican leaders seem to have no qualms about taking Texas out of the "Super Tuesday" primary next year in order to incorporate still-developing changes in congressional lines onto the ballot.

A-J Coffee Shop
Sometimes you don't have to leave the office for a good meal. There is a handy, little coffee shop right inside the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. The coffee shop enjoys quite a reputation among community patrons in the downtown area. It is not uncommon to see members of the sheriff's office or police department dining in the shop.

Former medical examiner offered retirement
Texas Tech has offered a retirement package to Dr. Jerry Spencer, the former Lubbock County chief medical examiner under investigation by Tech for removing breast implants and a birth control device from a corpse during autopsy.

Troops put police chief back in power to subdue riots
BEIJI, Iraq (AP)  U.S. troops reversed course Mon day to quell rioting in this key oil refining city, reinstating an elected police chief they ousted just five months ago despite deep support among tribal leaders in the region.

Israel launches air strike at alleged Islamic Jihad base in Syria
MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights (AP)  Israel bombed a target inside Syria that it claimed was an Islamic Jihad training base, striking deep inside its neighbor's territory Sunday for the first time in three decades and widening its pursuit of Palestinian militants.
The air strike  a retaliation for a suicide bombing Saturday that killed 19 Israelis  alarmed the Arab world and deepened concerns that three years of Israeli-Palestinian violence could spread through the region. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Saturday's bombing, in which 55 people were wounded.

Bush refuses to criticize Israel for Syria attack but urges caution
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Bush declined to criticize Israel Monday for its air strike deep inside Syria, saying Israel "has got a right to defend herself." But Bush also said he had cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to try to avoid escalating tensions in the region.

China makes plans for first manned space flight
BEIJING (AP)  The launch could happen as early as this weekend from a remote base in the Gobi Desert. China's first manned space flight would carry one "taikonaut"  or as many three. It could last from hours to several days.